Mother's Day
by D. Patterson
Summary: When Buffy decides to vist her mother's grave on Mother's Day, she gets more than she bargained for.


"Mother's Day"   
  
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Buffy The Vampire Slayer(r) or any of the characters in it. Those rights belong to Joss Whedon, 20th Century Fox, and The WB Television Network (for now). The story itself is a product of my own imagination, which I do not plan to profit from.   
  
Authors Note: This fanfic contains spoilers from "I Was Made To Love You," and "The Body" in it. Please, review when you're done, I would love to hear what you thought.   
  
  
Buffy entered, carrying a bouquet of crisp red roses. Though she had been to the cemetery many times, it was always on business. Usually an anonymous vampire had been reported or a body was found with two tiny punctures in the crevasse of its neck. Tonight, however, was different. Tonight was the first time Buffy was there to make a "social" visit. She was nervous. She didn't know if she was supposed to talk out loud, or stand quietly and stare at her mother's tombstone.   
  
It was brisk for a May night. Gusts of wind would sporadically brush over Buffy's face as she wandered the long rows of monuments, searching. She remembered her mother was buried near the west end of the cemetery, she just wasn't sure of the exact location. She was too grief-stricken at the funeral to pay close attention.   
  
As she explored, a faint moaning caught her attention. Buffy froze, listening intensely, but the sound was too far-off for her to make any assumptions.   
  
"I better investigate."  
  
Buffy kept low to the ground. She didn't want to make her presence known. Vampires were notorious for hunting the cemetery at night, and Buffy would be unprepared for any sudden encounters. She cautiously ducked behind tombstones as she progressed towards the sound. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood, serving as an indicator that she was near something supernatural.   
  
Suddenly, a thick fog filtered the air, blinding Buffy. She squinted hard and pushed through the mist. As the fog began to lessen, Buffy discovered the source of the sound.   
  
A demon was hunched over a grave. Four candles, their fiery flames flapping in the wind, were positioned on all sides of the tombstone, forming a crude diamond. Buffy's eyes grew in terror as she watched the creatures twisted ritual. Though it was large in stature, it gracefully danced around the tombstone, chanting in a language foreign to man. It waved an enchanted tool as it moved.   
  
A soft light materialized above the headstone. It remained suspended in the air for a few moments, and then vanished. The demon dropped to its knees and, in one majestic breath, extinguished all four candles.   
  
"Hey!" Buffy shouted, shocking the monster.   
  
It whirled around and snarled at the slayer. Though its face was hidden in shadow, Buffy could feel its flashing red eyes glaring at her.  
  
"Enjoy," it snarled, pulling back it's rotten lips and revealing two rows of decaying teeth. It gathered the candles and disappeared into the safety of the night.   
  
Buffy's only protection was a stake and, since the demon wasn't a vampire, a stake would have been very ineffective. Chasing it would have been reckless; the demon was probably powerful enough to snap her neck in an instant. Buffy sighed. The creature had had escaped with its life.   
  
As Buffy turned to continue her search something caught her eye. The name engraved on the tombstone read Joyce Summers. Tears welled in her eyes. She shook her head in disbelief.   
  
"No," she sobbed out loud. "No!!!!"   
  
Buffy tried to calm down. She tried to examine the situation from every possible angle, the way Giles would. But she couldn't. Too many things didn't connect. What was the mysterious ritual the demon was performing? Why was it at her mother's grave? And why did the demon tell her to "enjoy" before it fled? A knot twisted in the pit of Buffy's stomach after she read her mother's name again.   
  
"I should call Giles."   
  
Before leaving, Buffy painfully placed the bouquet of roses on the soft earth facing her mom's tombstone.   
  
  
"They're beautiful." Startled, Buffy spun around, coming face to face with Joyce.   
  
"Mom?" she asked quietly, her heart pounding in her chest.   
  
Joyce nodded, smiling. She walked past Buffy and lifted the roses to her nose.   
  
"They smell good to. I always loved roses."   
  
Buffy was so overwhelmed with emotion she didn't know what to say. From the day Joyce died she wished for one more chance to see her, to hear her voice, to touch her. It was like the threads of time stopped. Everything about Joyce was the same: from her lilac perfume to her favorite harlot lipstick. She was even wearing the white blouse Buffy found her in.  
  
"You chose a very nice place to bury me," Joyce said awkwardly, inspecting the area. "I mean, it seems v-very peaceful."  
  
She gingerly put the flowers back on the ground and stared at her tombstone.  
  
"I still can't believe I'm dead," she sighed. She turned to Buffy. "I feel so guilty for leaving you and Dawn. I never wanted my girls to suffer so much. I'm sorry."   
  
Buffy began sobbing. Joyce's face dropped. "Oh honey, don't cry," she said.   
  
She gently caressed Buffy's face. Buffy remembered when she was a child and would bruise herself. She would run to her mom for comfort and Joyce would lovingly cradle her face the way she was now. The touch alone would sooth Buffy and make her feel safe, loved.   
  
"Y-You look good," Buffy said once she composed herself.   
  
Joyce looked down at her dress and cringed.   
  
"I wish I hadn't picked such a plain thing to wear. I always pictured myself dying in some beautiful evening gown; not a housedress." Buffy chuckled. She had forgotten how humorous her mom could be.   
  
"You're beautiful," she whispered. Joyce's face glowed at the comment.   
  
"Mom," Buffy said, tears flooding from her eyes again. "I miss you so much."   
  
"You don't have to," Joyce said reassuringly. "I'm fine. I'm in a good place and I don't feel pain anymore."   
  
Joyce brushed the tears from Buffy's face.   
  
"I'm still with you. I'm always watching you, thinking about you. But you know what?" Buffy shook her head. "I'm not worried. I am confident that you can take care of yourself. You're strong and you're brave and," she hesitated for a moment. "I never told you this but.. You're my hero."   
  
"Mommy," Buffy cried, wrapping her arms around Joyce and holding her in a tight embrace. "I love you."   
  
"I love you too, Buffy," Joyce sobbed, kissing Buffy's wet cheek. "I'll always love you."   
  
When Buffy pulled away, Joyce was gone. She had vanished as quickly as she appeared. The faint scent of lilac lingered in the air. Buffy stood, lost in thought. Deep inside she knew something magical had happened; it wasn't her imagination. She gazed into the indigo sky, at the stars winking down at her; sharing her secret.   
  
Looking at the tombstone, Buffy quietly whispered, "Happy Mother's Day, Mom."   
  
  
  
Giles watched from a distance. While tears fell from his eyes, a huge smile spread across his face. Standing beside him was the demon, it's lips curled in a smile.   
  
"I suppose your spell worked," Giles said to the creature. "You allowed Joyce to make contact with Buffy."   
  
"First time I ever performed this spell to make someone feel good," the monster croaked. "I never could understand you humans."   
  
Giles chuckled, carefully placing his glasses on the bridge of his nose.   
  
"Thank you," he said.   
  
The creature placed its large, slimy hands on Giles' shoulder.   
  
"You're a good father to that girl," it said.   
  
"I'm not her father."   
  
"Are you sure about that?" the demon asked as it vanished into the night.   
  
Giles thought for a moment.   
  
"No," he said to himself. " I suppose I'm not."  
  
Giles beamed as he watched Buffy bounce out of the cemetery. When he could no longer see her he turned and went home.  
  
The End  



End file.
